Mark

By Joyce Webb 2022

Chapter 2 Verses 18-28

Verse 18
The Jewish leaders called Pharisees often fasted—-went without eating for a time. John the Baptist’s followers often fasted, also.

The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, Why do the Pharisees and John’s followers fast, but your disciples do not?

Verse 19 Jesus said, people do not fast when they are with the bridegroom. (That is a time to be happy and eat.)

Verse 20 The days will come—when the bridegroom will be taken away, and then my disciples will fast.

(Jesus is saying that he is like a bridegroom. In the Old Testament, God often called Israel and its people—his bride.

When the people of Israel began to worship idols—God said they were unfaithful to him—like a bride that took other “lovers”.

In the book of Revelation, we read about the “marriage supper of the Lamb”. Jesus is the “groom“, and the believers are the “bride“.

In John 14:1-3—–Jesus said that he was going away to prepare a place for us (believers). He would come again and take us there to be with him. (This refers to the rapture —-catching up of the believers in the clouds.)

In the Bible times, when a man and woman agreed to marry—-the groom would go back to his home and he would prepare a place—house or rooms—-for his bride and future family.

The groom’s father would oversee the work. When the father thought that everything was finished and ready—he would give his permission for the son-groom to go get his bride and be married.

After the marriage, the bride would live with the groom in the place that he prepared.

One time the disciples were asking Jesus when he would be coming back to earth again, Jesus said that he did not know. That the angels did not know. That only God the Father knew.

That was like the custom they had about weddings—-when the groom got things ready for the bride.

But the groom had to wait until the Father thought everything was ready—–before the groom could go. When the Father gave his permission—then the groom went to get the bride.

So, Jesus is telling these Pharisees that he is like a “groom”. Jesus would be here on earth for a short time—-calling people to be his “bride”. When Jesus’ time on earth was done, he would go prepare a place for his bride to come—-to live with him.

When God the Father said it was “ready” and the time was right—-then Jesus would return to earth to get his “bride”.

The right “time” will be for the Father to decide. The Father will watch the things happening on the earth—when he thinks it is time for Jesus to return—then Jesus will come.)

For fasting—When Jesus would go back into heaven—-that would be the time for the disciples and others to work and tell others about Jesus.
Many times it would be hard to do—then they would fast and pray.

Verse 21 Jesus gave another example—-a person does not sew a patch using new material to put on old clothing. Old cloth is worn and weak. The new cloth is strong. A patch of new cloth on old clothing would make it tear more.

Jesus was preaching a new “gospel”. No longer would there be a need for the sacrifices of animals. No longer would there be a new for some of the Old Testaments laws and rules.

Jesus would be the sacrifice to die for people’s sins. He would be a perfect sacrifice. He was a man—not an animal taking the place of man—he was a perfect man to die for a sinful man.

No other sacrifice would be needed. Jesus would be the last sacrifice needed. He would be the perfect complete sacrifice.

With that—would come the time of “grace’ and “forgiveness” by faith—-not works—not what you did to get forgiveness.

Forgiveness would come by trusting in what Jesus did for us and asking for forgiveness—– and by faith trusting that he did forgive and that we will live with him in heaven.

These are “new” ways of believing. Something the Pharisees did not seem to understand.

You could not put this new way of faith and believing in old ways of doing things.

Verse 22 Jesus said–It would be like trying to put new wine into old wine skins. The new wine as it ages– would change—and make gases that would swell and it would break an old weak skin.

Wine was put into animal skins rather than glass bottles.

Verse 23 Jesus and he disciples were traveling. They were hungry. So as they were walking through a corn field, they broke off some ears of corn and ate the kernels.

This happened on the Sabbath day. Some Pharisees saw them and said they were breaking the Jewish law—because they were “working”—-harvesting grain.

(This way of thinking was overly strict. Really, they could see that the men picked only what they needed to eat.

Even the Pharisees picked up food to eat on the Sabbath.

They did not cook it on the Sabbath—the food was cooked the day before.

I was in Israel in 2010—in a hotel—the elevators had push buttons for each floor. On the Sabbath Day the buttons were turned off—they did not work.

You got in the elevator and it would automatically stop at every floor and you got off when you reached your floor.

The reason—pushing the buttons was considered “work”.

These are the kind of “rules” the Pharisees made.

Jesus was saying, these kind of old rules would not fit in the new way of faith believing.

Verse 25 Jesus reminded the Pharisees that in the Old Testament, King David and his men were traveling and were hungry. When they came to the tabernacle (tent church), they went in and got the bread that was for the priests—and they took it —to eat.

Verse 26 Jesus said, The Sabbath (day of rest) was made for man’s benefit–to rest. Man was not made for the purpose of honoring the Sabbath.

Verse 28 The Son of Man–Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath.
The purpose of the Sabbath was a day of rest and a day to honor and worship God.

Yes, it was a law to honor that day and not to work on that day.

But the Pharisees began to make strict and unreasonable laws about “work”.

That was not the purpose of the Sabbath.

They were criticizing Jesus for breaking the law—-Jesus is Lord—of all —including the Sabbath. He is the one the Sabbath honors.

If he chose to pull ears of corn—he is Lord of the Sabbath.

The Pharisees never believed that Jesus was Lord God.